A variety of intravascular catheters are known, including small diameter catheters that are configured for use in smaller vasculature such as the neurovasculature. Such catheters are known as microcatheters. Many microcatheters have a single lumen designed to accommodate a guidewire, treatment device or fluid that may be deployed through the single microcatheter lumen.
A need remains for improved microcatheters that preferably retain the single lumen yet can be deployed in rapid exchange fashion, while permitting device deployment or fluid passage through the central lumen while the rapid exchange proximal port allows guidewire passage into that same lumen. A need remains for a rapid exchange microcatheter having a central lumen that can remain substantially fluid tight when no guidewire is deployed through the microcatheter.